A call centre in Sydney that’s assisting the American Red Cross says it has been “overwhelmed” with the number of calls coming in from those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Program manager Cathy Harris says they need more hands on deck to keep up with the thousands of people calling for help.
“Some of our advisors are finding it kind of emotional and they're trying to deal with it, and be reassuring to the people that are calling in, which is difficult,” says Harris.
Ursla Hynes says the first-hand calls from Texas flood victims are sometimes hard to hear.
“I've talked to some people that are displaced from their homes. They are looking for loved ones they might have spoken to earlier in the day and are no longer able to reach them, so it's pretty intense,” says Hynes.
One hundred volunteers have signed up, but more are needed to take information for the American Red Cross and relay it to people on the ground in the places hardest hit.
Phone operator Arlene MacDonald says she was watching the flooding unfold on television and knew she had to help.
“I'm seeing people walk up to their chest in water, holding on to the elderly being carried out in their wheelchairs,” says MacDoanld. “The rescues that are happening, it's just so amazing. It brings tears to my eyes.”
Calls are coming in around the clock, with some people working more than 12 hours straight. Harris says it will be days, even weeks, before things are back to normal.
“We are only taking half of the volume. The other half is going to an inbound site in Warren or Charlotte, N.C. Overall, there's a lot of people calling in that are affected,” Harris says.
Officials say experience is not needed to lend a hand. They’re just looking for whatever help they can get.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
